As morning dawned, Zan adjusted himself in the sturdy high-backed chair. Unable to sleep, he had come down to the infirmary to keep watch over the gnome. When he looked over, he immediately realized something was different. The gnome's steady, even breathing that he had grown accustomed to had changed. The creature tied to the wooden table was awake.
"How did you sleep?" The Chief asked casually.
The gnome chuckled. "And here I thought maybe I could get the jump on you…I slept well, though I think it has been quite some time."
"Nearly two weeks," Zan confirmed. He stood so that Gandr could see his face.
"Where am I? How am I alive?" The gnome strained against the ropes, but they were taut.
"Those are the last two questions you will get until you answer mine. You are in the infirmary, and I saved you."
"You saved me only to torture me," Gandr despaired.
"I saved you because you needed help. I hope I made the right call." Zan tap
Zan kept his temper and refused to react. When he heard that the soldiers had come to arrest him, he anticipated such an outrageous accusation. "I am not guilty of either crime. And I do not believe that this is how the justice system was set up to work." Under Aurora's mother Zephyra, the courts were fashioned to require a waiting time between an accusation and trial so evidence could be gathered. Zephyra had done this to give herself time to hide the indiscretions of herself or her subordinates, but among the general public the time helped for justice to prevail. Having charges brought and a trial in the same day was unheard of."This is most unusual," Birger agreed.The rest of the Council also seemed uncomfortable. They, too, knew the law. Cafer, on the other hand, was unperturbed. "Perhaps under the old Empresses that was the law, but we have a new ruler. What do you say, future Emperor Alaron?"The boy arched his back, looking every inch a ruler already. H
"Ha! I found you!" Gede said with a laugh. Aurora emerged from behind the chair."You got me," she agreed brightly, tousling the fairy boy's hair."Bet you cannot find me!" Gede gave a lopsided smile."Well, since you can shrink to smaller than my pinky, you are probably right. I would spend the rest of my life looking in every nook and cranny looking for your prick of light."Two specks of light flew into the room and materialized into Prem with Niko on her hip. "Are you two at it again?"The pair giggled. "There is only so much to do in the house, and this is fun. I never knew hiding could be a game!" Aurora's word produced a sad smile on Prem's face. She had caught snatches of what the girl's childhood had been, and it made her determined to love and spoil the girl wholeheartedly while she was there."Very well. When you are done, I made some cookies in the kitchen." Prem wiggled her eyebrows playfully."Yum!!" Both Gede and Aurora
The group was on their second day of traveling since leaving the fairies' home. The atmosphere had been convivial, with Aurora and Devrim often taking up the rear to clandestinely (or so they thought) hold hands. It had initially injured Nurlan's sensibilities to find that the Empress and Devrim were not married, but seeing them in the innocence of new love quickly melted his heart.Just now Junayd was playing a jaunty tune on a long thin instrument with many finger holes. In between his his tinkerings, he would invent words to accompany his composition."I traveled from my home down southTo find a lassie trueBut she did not think me worthwhileAnd left for someone newBut do not fret for me, my friendMy future's not so grimFor she was trouble from the start
The ground below Aurora gave way before she could react. The earth kept shifting, constantly bringing her downwards and at an angle like the most horrific slide ever created. Were it not for the pocket of air that was being maintained around her body, she would have suffocated from the dirt. As it was, she was slipping into a panic, wishing more than anything to come to a stop. Actually, she wished for anything to happen. Anything but this eternal falling.Finally her descent slowed, and she was able to grab at the dirt and bring herself to a stop as the hole opened up into a wide cavern. Two gnomes, the ones who had been waiting for her to get more than an arm's-length away from her group before abducting her, stood waiting for her at the exit of the tunnel. Regaining her senses, Aurora brushed herself off and called angrily at the little gnomes, "This is how you treat the Empress? You should be ashamed of yourselves!" She hoped that an overt display of dominance might fores
"Aurora!" Devrim yelled as the Empress slipped effortlessly into the earth. He dove at the spot where she had been, but the gnomes had blocked anyone from following. "Help her!" he yelled at Brinn.Although his tone was gruff, the elf chose not to take offense. "I have no ground magic. There is no way to follow them.""Have they buried her alive?" Devrim began to dig at the dirt."Her smell is gone. I think they only abducted her." Brinn tried to be comforting.Devrim dug for a few moments longer before giving up in despair. "What do you mean: 'only abducted her'?""They did not kill her. You said in the past they have simply tried to murder her." Brinn pointed out."That is true," Nurlan agreed as he helped the boy to stand. He too felt anger and frustration, but Brinn's calm demeanor helped him think more clearly.The elf continued, "If the gnomes have decided to keep Aurora alive, then they want something. That means we have time t
Aurora groped around until she could find the source of the fresh air. A small hole inside the base of the crevice allowed the tantalizing breeze. The Empress got out of the crevice and lay on her side to get a better look. Unlike whatever the gnomes used to light their dwellings, this hole had no such brightness. The pitch black meant that she could not see how far back the hole went, but the fresh air on her face was unmistakable.She pushed her fingers into the hole and pulled at the rocks to widen it. Sediment from the wall broke off into her hands, and she shoveled it out into the cavern. The hole was now bigger than it had been but not nearly large enough. She pulled out her knife from her cloak and dug furiously until the hole was almost wide enough for her body.For once she was glad to be on the smaller side. Her mother had been called statuesque, and Aurora inherited her lean build but not her height. The near ninety degree angle between the wall of the crevi
"The biggest issue is we have no idea where the Empress went once she escaped," Devrim said. The group knelt around their plans that were written in the dirt."I could send a message ball to the fairies for them to keep an eye out for her." Brinn offered."Great idea!" Devrim forgot she could do such a thing. More eyes would be very helpful."The ball can only go to a designated location that I tell it, so we will not be able to hear back from them." Brinn warned them of the balls limitations."That is less desirable, but I still think we should ask for their help." Devrim nodded thoughtfully."I know about the boy, but have either of you fought gnomes before?" the elf asked the soldiers."Cannot say that I have, ma'am," Nurlan shook his head. Junayd made a negative gesture also."Well when fighting a gnome, you need to know a few things…" Brinn began."Could I please have a drink of water?"Devrim passed a water-
After a short night's sleep for everyone except Junayd, who unfortunately for the others had the final watch, they set off hoping to reach their destination that day. "I slept better than I thought I would up in those branches." The young soldier said as he stretched his arms to relieve the tension in his muscles."That makes one of us. Your fear of heights translated into the loudest snoring I have ever heard," Nurlan spat bitterly. He was particularly cranky."Really?" Junayd was surprised. "I did not hear it."The others rolled their eyes upward. "We seem to be making good time," Devrim changed the subject. "We did not even need your wind magic to speed us along.""It is just as well, using magic is exhausting." Brinn told him. She strode along effortlessly such that Devrim wondered if she were not using just a little magic for herself.The grey-eyed man kicked at the ground. "Still, I liked the feeling of flying—" Just like that, Devrim l